All former AEW stars are playable in WWE 2K26

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While WWE 2K26 drops during a bit of a rough patch for the TKO-owned company, as ticket prices, questionable booking, brutally small PPV match cards and more have led to a steady increase in criticism, there's still plenty of hype for the game itself. Not only does it embrace nostalgia by focusing on the Monday Night War, but its CM Punk showcase is sure to be attractive to many given Punk's enduring popularity. Plus, for AEW fans disappointed Fight foreverlacks creative suite and outdated roster, WWE 2K26 is something that they might be interested in addressing. Not only can they create or download AEW's biggest stars, such as MJF, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay, but there are quite a few familiar faces that will be on the official roster for WWE 2K26.

A large part of WWE 2K26s DLC lineup remains undisclosed, so it can be assumed that two recent ex-AEW pickups, Royce Keys (Powerhouse Hobbs) and Danhausen, will eventually join the roster down the road. However, this is only speculation.

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As an AEW fan, I'm buying WWE 2K26 to save Mariah May from her horrible booking

While WWE 2K26 goes for nostalgia with its '90s-themed covers, if I bring up the game, it's about making a modern wrestler the star she should be.

All former AEW stars you can play as in WWE 2K26

  • Aleister Black (Malakai Black)

  • Blake Monroe (Mariah May)

  • CM Punk

  • Cody Rhodes

  • El Hijo del Vikingo — DLC

  • Ethan Page

  • Jade Cargill

  • Lexis King (Brian Pillman Jr.)

  • Penta

  • Rey Phoenix

  • Ricky Saints (Ricky Starks)

  • Rusev (Miro)

  • Shawn Spears

  • RVD

Obviously the biggest names here are CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. The former returned to wrestling after several years away following a controversial departure from WWE due to years of abuse. During his time in AEW, he had an excellent feud with MJF but also found himself in controversy backstage, butting heads with The Elite and getting into a fight with Jack Perry that got him fired from AEW. He then returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023 and is currently the World Heavyweight Champion. Cody Rhodes' return at WrestleMania 38 was arguably even more shocking, as he was one of the EVPs responsible for founding AEW and spent years taking shots at Triple H and WWE. While the exact turning point for Cody has not been revealed, it is believed that the crowd turning him away due to a refusal to turn heel, his inability to challenge for the world title and “end the story” after a controversial booking decision, and the company's shifting identity all contributed to Cody's monumental WWE return. Since then, he has become the face of the company, filling the void left by John Cena.

While they are the biggest names on the roster, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are hardly the only major ex-AEW pick-ups WWE has made in recent years. Blake Monroe, for example, was formerly known as Mariah May and had what many consider the best female rivalry of all time with AEW megastar Toni Storm before her departure. She has since developed her WWE character in NXT, alongside fellow AEW alumni Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, Shawn Spears and Lexis King. Over on the main roster, the Lucha Brothers, Penta and Fenix, have had their share of matches, although the former has found much more success than the latter in WWE thus far. And while current WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill has frustratingly not had a defense since winning the belt, she's still become a household name in WWE after her dominant run as TBS Champion in AEW.

Although not formally under AEW contract, RVD and Vikingo made several appearances in the company, with the former having an outstanding match against Swerve Strickland along with some fun ECW tribute matches with Taz son Hook, while the latter appeared regularly in high-flying lucha matches. Perhaps the most controversial names on the roster are Aleister Black and Rusev, as they were regularly rumored to refuse to lose to certain AEW stars and were booked inconsistently because of it. How true this actually is remains a mystery, as Black has pushed back against this idea on social media. Regardless, they had two memorable moments in AEW, such as Miro's Redeemer run with the TNT title and Black's brutal cage match with Adam Copeland (AKA Edge).

WWE 2K26's DLC may feature one of AEW's most important characters

Former WWE and current AEW star Chris Jericho with arms outstretched and holding a baseball bat. He is wearing a jacket with tassels on the arms Image via AEW

Alongside the aforementioned potential additions of Danhausen and Royce Keys, Chris Jericho has long been rumored to return to WWE when his AEW contract expires. If and when this happens, the many repetitions of Jericho could justify an entire Ringside Pass on its own. From The List and Y2J to Lionheart and The Painmaker, his long career and many, many stunts ensure he would be too widely asked not to add. But even if Jericho doesn't return to WWE in time to make the DLC series, there will no doubt be custom versions of him to download alongside the current AEW stars, ensuring players can recreate whatever AEW matches they want within WWE 2K26.

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